AUG
18, (EL PASO, TX) - On August
17, Samuel Gomez, 48, was sentenced to
320 months in federal prison for engaging
in widespread drug trafficking and related
crimes of violence announced Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge
Joseph D. Arabit along with United States
Attorney Robert Pitman, and Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in
Charge Mark Morgan.

In
addition to the prison term, United States
District Judge David Briones ordered that
Gomez pay a $10,000 fine, forfeit more than
$57,335 to the Government and be placed under
supervised release for a period of five years
after completing his prison term. In May,
a federal jury convicted Gomez of one count
of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute
more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana; possession
with intent to distribute more than 1,000
kilograms of marijuana; and, possession with
intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms
of marijuana

Testimony
presented at trial revealed that for approximately
five years beginning in 2007, Gomez was ultimately
responsible for the trafficking of more than
7,300 pounds of marijuana. Testimony also
revealed Gomez’s propensity for committing
revengeful acts of violence whenever his
drug loads were stolen, or lost under suspicious
circumstances, including assault, kidnapping,
arson and drive-by shootings.

“This
sentencing should send a strong and unified
message that drug trafficking will not be
tolerated in our community, and those who
commit these offenses will be brought to
justice,” stated DEA El Paso Division
Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit.

Gomez
is one of 11 defendants charged in connection
with this scheme. Ten have entered guilty
pleas. Nine have received prison sentences,
including Gomez. Co-defendant Joe Luna is
awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty
to unlawful use of a communication facility.
Co-defendant Alex Drury, who was arrested
last month, faces the conspiracy charge.
No further court dates have been scheduled.

“Today’s
sentencing represents the successful culmination
of the joint FBI/DEA Strike Force investigation
into a drug trafficking organization operating
in El Paso, Texas. This investigation enforces
our relationship with law enforcement partners
to accomplish a unified objective of disrupting
and dismantling a drug trafficking organization
which operates for the Sinaloa Mexican Drug
Trafficking Organization. The FBI will continue
to work in collaboration with our valued
law enforcement partners to investigate and
seek prosecution of the individuals who choose
to participate in drug trafficking enterprises,” stated
FBI El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge
Mark Morgan.

This
case resulted from an investigation by the
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
(OCDETF) Strike Force Group I in El Paso
which is comprised of agents from the Drug
Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal
Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland
Security Investigations, United States Marshals
Service and the United States Border Patrol.